Little Flies? Fungus Gnats? How to kill larvae in Soil? N e 1

K so I've got these damn little flies they look like fruit fly's but I'm not growing fruit. There very little and have clear wings. I always catch a few walking up and down my buckets and a few flying in the air.
Does any one know the best way to kill these damn things. I've read potato's peroxide mixtures. What works ?? n e 1 out there with the Answers? ??

I have the same issue,,, fungus gnats are the bane of my existence right now..

I recently have been trying azamax, doing a soil drench every 5 days or so, and spraying down with neem everyday. it's been about 1.5 weeks, and I would say I got about 60% of them buggers,, but I am still battling..

Re: Little Flies? Fungus Gnats? How to kill larvae in Soil? N e 1

Rite on Zen Thanx, Yeah I hope I can get some help here. These F#%$@ gnats are a bother. I am doing the potato trick it's getting lot uh larvae. But still am going to feed with peroxide. Let me know how that works Zen. I'll post my findings when done. Thanx

Re: Little Flies? Fungus Gnats? How to kill larvae in Soil? N e 1

I had some interesting times with fungus gnats... check out my thread here.

Here is what I did:

Go to your local hardware or garden store and get some B.T.I. (Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis)... it usually comes as a mosquito dunk (like a hard biscuit), or I have found some that are little packets that dissolve in the water. Its called Mosquito Beater WSP by bonide products.

Step 1: (the step i didnt do) - Bake your soil.

Step 2: Add Mosquito Beater WSP pouches (or other BTI product) to jugs of water when feeding plants (i run soil) - water plants w/ BTI laced water, then let plants go without water for a few days until they are REALLY dry... almost to the point of wilting and dying (pay CLOSE attention to the plants at this point).

Step 3: Hang fly traps and blue & yellow sticky traps up in the garden, and also hang the sticky traps upside down from little chopstick a-frame holders I made (the adults fly up from the soil and fly towards the bright light)

Step 4: Get some small pea-gravel from the garden store, wash it very good, and place the pea-gravel on top of your soil to form a barrier so that the adults cannot lay more eggs in the soil (I used perlite, which works, but makes a HUGE fucking mess when your fans blow it everywhere, creating mountains of perlite in the corners of the garden).

Step 5: Get some predator mites from the garden store, and release them into your plants.

I also have some real spiders that make webs in the corners of the garden, and they have even caught a few of the adults.

So far, my fungus gnat problem has completely disappeared, and I havent seen a fungus gnat for quite some time.

Re: Little Flies? Fungus Gnats? How to kill larvae in Soil? N e 1

Originally Posted by trip

I had some interesting times with fungus gnats... check out my thread here.

Here is what I did:

Go to your local hardware or garden store and get some B.T.I. (Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis)... it usually comes as a mosquito dunk (like a hard biscuit), or I have found some that are little packets that dissolve in the water. Its called Mosquito Beater WSP by bonide products.

Step 1: (the step i didnt do) - Bake your soil.

Step 2: Add Mosquito Beater WSP pouches (or other BTI product) to jugs of water when feeding plants (i run soil) - water plants w/ BTI laced water, then let plants go without water for a few days until they are REALLY dry... almost to the point of wilting and dying (pay CLOSE attention to the plants at this point).

Step 3: Hang fly traps and blue & yellow sticky traps up in the garden, and also hang the sticky traps upside down from little chopstick a-frame holders I made (the adults fly up from the soil and fly towards the bright light)

Step 4: Get some small pea-gravel from the garden store, wash it very good, and place the pea-gravel on top of your soil to form a barrier so that the adults cannot lay more eggs in the soil (I used perlite, which works, but makes a HUGE fucking mess when your fans blow it everywhere, creating mountains of perlite in the corners of the garden).

Step 5: Get some predator mites from the garden store, and release them into your plants.

I also have some real spiders that make webs in the corners of the garden, and they have even caught a few of the adults.

So far, my fungus gnat problem has completely disappeared, and I havent seen a fungus gnat for quite some time.

That's some good advice, seems like all valid and will-work steps. Get some predatory nematodes and they'll help you control larvae if it should arise. Also diatomaceous earth can be laid on the top of your soil and it will cut up any gnats that get close enough.

Re: Little Flies? Fungus Gnats? How to kill larvae in Soil? N e 1

Ask your local garden center/hydro shop for "Gnatrol" that is the brand name for a gnaticide (Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis) -thanks trip in a powder or liquid form. (The powder has a longer shelf life) Before applying it, be sure to wet the top few inches of your growing media (that's where the larvae live) and then apply the liquid or pre-mixed powder as a top feed or drench just before the lights go out. Apply weekly for 4-6 weeks. The bacillus will bore little holes right through the larvae and won't do anything else but thrive and deter any other nasties that may try to set up shop in your root zone.

As to what fungus gnats do... they land in your garden, then inoculate the soil/media with fungus as well as lay eggs which turn into fungus/root feeding little s#*t$! KILL THEM ALL!

Re: Little Flies? Fungus Gnats? How to kill larvae in Soil? N e 1

Originally Posted by Cannablessed

Ask your local garden center/hydro shop for "Gnatrol" that is the brand name for a gnaticide (Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis) -thanks trip in a powder or liquid form. (The powder has a longer shelf life) Before applying it, be sure to wet the top few inches of your growing media (that's where the larvae live) and then apply the liquid or pre-mixed powder as a top feed or drench just before the lights go out. Apply weekly for 4-6 weeks. The bacillus will bore little holes right through the larvae and won't do anything else but thrive and deter any other nasties that may try to set up shop in your root zone.

As to what fungus gnats do... they land in your garden, then inoculate the soil/media with fungus as well as lay eggs which turn into fungus/root feeding little s#*t$! KILL THEM ALL!

I had heard of gnatrol and azamax at the same time,, I went for the azamax,, I wlll try the gnatrol next. Thanks for telling me ehat those buggers do as well. +reps

Re: Little Flies? Fungus Gnats? How to kill larvae in Soil? N e 1

Thanx every 1 for the insight and info. Much appreciated. I ended up getting some neem oil spray and have applied two treatments meaning spray's. I put some stickies all over the place. catching a bunch. Just hoping the larvae r all gone. Will see in a few day's. Will post progress.
New problem is I saw a mite today. 2 of them. Little redish ones. What the F#$@ How good are these (predatory nematodes) and where do I get them? will they spread into my house? What's the scoop on these little critters? Thanx Fellus

Re: Little Flies? Fungus Gnats? How to kill larvae in Soil? N e 1

The nematodes are microscopic hungry soil-living worms. They enter their host and eat it from inside out. They won't do shit to your house they'll chill in the soil and eat any larvae living in the soil.

Those larvae are nasty and eat your roots and root hairs which will obviously weaken your plant.

If you have mites I'd get some SNS-217 which is a sponsor of this forum. It's good stuff just for the mites. It will kill the adults and also dry out any eggs on the leaves, which makes it like a one hitter (maybe two) quitter.

If you're 2 weeks or more in flower I wouldn't spray though...you can just I wouldn't.